Chapter 72

Once the shadow of Archie's illness began to lift, the Grants settled into a comfortable routine for the remainder of the summer. Allie was working more at the café and began filling in on the switchboard at the Mercantile when Mrs. Yost needed a break. Caroline continued to stay in Hope Valley and spent her days helping with Archie, the house and relishing the opportunity to take care of her family in the way only a mother could. She worried a little that Sarah might feel she was infringing on her position in the household but Sarah quickly put her mind at ease thanking her every day when she came home from work to a hot meal. The bond between the two women grew stronger over time as Sarah realized how much she missed having a mother figure in her life and Caroline missed having a daughter.

Sarah really appreciated having Caroline with them when Nathan was sent out of town on assignments not once or twice but three times during the summer. The first mission was just to Brookfield to help Gabe work on a cattle rustling case. Gabe could have handled it himself but Lillian's pregnancy had not been easy on her and Gabe didn't want to risk being called away so Nathan offered to take the lead on the investigation. Fortunately, they were able to wrap it up quickly and he was back home within a week. He'd just settled back in at home when he was called away again to Buxton on a case involving counterfeiting. That case kept him away for a little over two weeks which may as well have been a month for Sarah. She missed him desperately and, even with family around to keep her mind off Nathan's absence, she found herself lonely especially at night when she lay in bed not wrapped in his arms. It hadn't taken long for the two to realize they slept better together than they ever had apart. Sarah hadn't realized how much she looked forward to their evening conversations as they lay in bed before they drifted off to sleep. They made the most of their time together when he was home and, though they were still adjusting to married life and figuring out what it was like to be newlyweds in a house full of people, the intimacy and love they shared carried them through any bumps in the road.

Nathan was preparing to be gone on his third case of the summer. This one was to be run out of Mountie HQ in Union City and unfortunately had no timeline for how long Nathan would be gone. On the morning he left Sarah awoke to Nathan's face poised over her as she opened her eyes for the first time that morning. He had a devious look on his face and she felt her cheeks flush as she knew what was going through his mind. Later he went down to the kitchen and returned with two mugs of steaming coffee and a plate of scones his mother had just pulled from the oven. "Nathan Grant, I do believe you are spoiling me." Sarah tried to sound surprised but Nathan had been doing little things to show her how much he loved her even before they said their marriage vows. After they drank their coffee and shared a scone, Nathan picked up an envelope from the bedside table and handed it to his beautiful wife. Sarah looked a bit confused as she took it from him and opened it. Inside she found a train ticket and a letter. She read it aloud to Nathan.

My darling Sarah, two months ago you made me the happiest man in the world when you vowed to love me forever. Our first weeks of marriage have not been ideal given Archie's health, my mother moving in, and the cases that have required me to leave you. I want you to know how thankful I am for your understanding and continued patience and love. The thought of leaving you again tears at my heart but I hope this will make our separation more bearable. I look forward to having you join me this weekend in Union City to celebrate our two-month anniversary.

Always and forever yours,

Nathan

P.S. Don't worry, I've made sure it's okay with Anna, Betsy, Allie and my mother for you to be fine so know that everything at home will be under control.

A tear fell silently from Sarah's eye. Somehow Nathan knew what she needed when she didn't know it herself. The time since the wedding had been difficult. It had not been the blissful time newly married couples should have together. Sarah always just worked through challenges that came her way and never had someone to recognize when it might be too much. Nathan reached over and with his thumb he wiped away the tear that made its way down his wife's cheek.

"Nathan, I don't know what to say. Thank you for always thinking of me and doing things to make me feel special." Sara was suddenly overcome with emotion. The stress of the last two months finally caught up with her. Nathan pulled her into his arms and brought his lips to hers. When they parted, she couldn't pull her eyes from his. The sparkle that lay within his blue eyes sent a feeling of electricity running through her. "I wish we didn't have to go to work."

Nathan agreed and wished with every fiber of his being that they could spend today as they spent the days on their honeymoon but he knew he had things to get done before leaving for Union City later in the day.

"Come on Mrs. Grant, we can enjoy lazy days this weekend in Union City." Nathan cajoled Sarah out of bed.

Later that day Sarah dropped Nathan off at the train station promising to see him on the weekend. After work she stopped at the mercantile to pick up some items they needed at home and to give Allie a ride home. On the drive Allie was excited to tell Sarah that she'd heard Mr. Yost talking to Mr. Landis who was in town interviewing teachers for the upcoming school year. The new school addition was almost finished and while they had not been inside, they could see the progress of the outside on Sundays when they went to church. The exterior was finished, windows were in and the whole building had been repainted. There were just a few weeks left before school started. Her exposure to Mr. Landis was minimal but she'd heard stories that he could be difficult. She hoped that wouldn't be the case. There would be enough changes going on this year without having a contentious relationship with the head of the county school system. Sarah was very curious how Elizabeth would work with a second teacher after running the school on her own for eight years. She knew that Elizabeth had spent most of the month of July in Hamilton with Little Jack visiting her family so she wasn't sure how much she was consulted on the choice of the new teacher. Allie said she'd seen her the week before at the mercantile picking up supplies with Little Jack tagging along.

Allie asked Sarah if she was excited to go to Union City for the weekend. Sarah felt herself blush with anticipation and hoped that Allie hadn't noticed. Sarah admitted she was looking forward to getting away for a couple of days. "Would you like me to get you some new dresses for school?" Allie got very excited at the prospect of having some new things to wear given she would be moving to the new classroom with the older students. They spent the rest of the drive discussing colors and styles until Sarah had a good idea what Allie would like. Sarah looked over at Allie who had grown and matured over the summer and was now almost as tall as Sarah. An overwhelming sense of love swept over her as she glanced across at Allie who was watching out the window with a big smile on her face. "I love you, Allie."

Allie looked over at Sarah still with her radiant smile spread across her face. "I love you too mom."

The week dragged on for Sarah as she anticipated her rendezvous in the city with Nathan. She did her best not to get ahead of herself and knew she needed to stay focused and she could get excited once she was finally in her seat on the train and headed for Union City. It had been quite a while since Sarah had been away from Hope Valley, the last time she could remember was their quick trip to Brookfield for Gabe and Lillian's wedding. On Friday morning Archie felt well enough to drive Sarah to the train station. Sarah bid him good-bye with a quick kiss on the cheek. "Sarah, I hope you and Nathan enjoy your weekend away. Don't worry about anything here. Caroline and I will take good care of Allie."

"I know you will. Thank you, Archie. It's so good to see you feeling better." Sarah remembered back many weeks before when they returned from their honeymoon and thought Archie was sick and might not recover. Now the color in his face had returned to a much healthier pink hue and his eyes had regained their sparkle. Archie helped her out of the car and onto the train with her bag and waved good-bye as Sarah found a seat by the window. Now she could finally give in to the anticipation she'd been feeling all week.

Sarah watched out her window as the train pulled into the station in Union City. She could see from a distance the dashing figure in red serge waiting for her. Her heart skipped a few beats seeing Nathan standing on the platform. He kept sweeping his hand through his hair urging his rogue lock to stay in place. A smile spread across his face as he saw Sarah step down from the train. Taking her bag for her he set it on the ground and lifted her off the step and held her in his arms. Other travelers couldn't help but smile at the handsome Mountie in his red serge standing on the platform kissing the beautiful blonde. When they finally broke away from each other they were breathless but not the least bit embarrassed. Sarah put her hand through Nathan's arm and he picked up her bag with his other hand. "Shall we go Mrs. Grant?" Heads continued to turn as they walked through the train station on their way to the hotel.

Arriving at the hotel they were escorted to their room which Nathan had upgraded as a surprise for Sarah. "Oh Nathan, this is beautiful." The words had barely escaped Sarah's lips and Nathan had his arm around Sarah's waist and pulling her into his arms kissing her passionately and with more intensity than they'd been able to share since they'd returned from their honeymoon. Nathan's hands worked their way through her hair, pulling her closer to him. When he finally pulled back, she rested her head on his chest for a moment before reaching up and starting to undo the buttons of his serge. His eyes filled with anticipation as she moved her hand inside his jacket and laid it over his heart. The ease with which they were able to express their love to one another was one of their greatest gifts and they were both thankful for it.

They ate a late dinner and then enjoyed a stroll down the streets of Union City letting themselves enjoy the hustle and bustle knowing they were only there for a couple of days and then could go back to the peace and quiet of Hope Valley. Sarah showed Nathan where she had worked when she lived in Union City. It was still a dress shop but Dottie had sold that store as well and retired several months before. Sarah wanted to go back the next day and find some things for Allie hoping they carried what she needed.

The weekend flew by as they took in the sights of the city and did some shopping. Nathan took Sarah to the theater Saturday night and even wore a tie for her. Afterward they had a romantic dinner complete with candlelight and champagne. Sunday afternoon came too quickly and sadly, Sarah returned to Hope Valley, alone, leaving Nathan in Union City to finish his work there. As had happened upon Sarah's arrival…all heads turned as Nathan kissed her goodbye before she got on the train. His kiss was tender, remembering where they were but he couldn't help but seek more from her not knowing how long before he would get to kiss her again.

Archie and Allie were at the train station when Sarah's train arrived. As they drove home Allie filled her mom in on the happenings of the weekend which consisted mostly of talk about the new teacher that was being hired. The other big discussion that had been resurrected was the name for the school. Mr. Landis had explained at the meeting the previous spring that schools were typically referred to by a number. Hope Valley's school was to be known as PS 8. This didn't sit well with the townspeople who had been living in Hope Valley when Jack Thornton was their Mountie. They remembered his contribution and the effort he put toward the construction of the original schoolhouse. If it hadn't been for Jack Thornton, the local children could have spent many more years getting their education in the saloon.

"I know I never knew Mountie Jack but some of my friends remember him. Opal told me he saved her life pulling her from the school when it started on fire the night before he and Mrs. Thornton got married. They told me how sad the whole town was when he was killed on his training mission and how Mrs. Thornton didn't come back to school for a long time. When she did come back, they had renamed the school after him. I know if something like that happened to dad, I wouldn't want his memory to be erased like Mr. Landis is doing to Mountie Jack."

Sarah was impressed by Allie's ability to empathize with her friends and the situation. "I agree with you Allie. I wonder if there's anything you and the students could do to try and change Mr. Landis's mind."

"Maybe if we all write him letters asking to keep the name of the school as The Jack Thornton School, he might reconsider it." Sarah could see Allie's eyes light up as her idea started taking shape. "I'll ask my friends to all write letters and then I can send them to Mr. Landis. They can't ignore all of us, can they?"

"I think that's a great idea Allie. I'm proud of you for wanting to do something. It's important to speak up in a respectful way when you don't agree with something."

Once they were home Sarah gave everyone what she'd brought for them from Union City. Allie immediately went to try on her new dresses and was more than happy to model each one for her mom and grandparents. Sarah was both happy and relieved that Allie liked everything she'd chosen for her. Even more touching was how thankful and appreciative Allie was for her gifts. Sarah knew that as Allie got older, she would become more independent so she decided to appreciate every moment with Allie and hoped they could build a strong enough bond before those years were here.